Page 2 - Ham Operator News Today

The K7RA Solar Update 03/05/2021 Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We saw one day during the February 25 – March 3 reporting week — Monday, March 1 — with no sunspots, so the average daily sunspot number declined slightly from 19.6 to 18.9. Two new sunspot groups (2806 and 2807) appeared on Tuesday, March 2. Average daily solar flux increased only slightly during the reporting week, from 75.7 to 76.7. Average daily planetary A index softened slightly from 16 to 14.7, and the middle l...

ARISS, NASA, and ESA Continue to Probe Amateur Radio Problems on ISS 03/03/2021 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station ( ARISS) International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports that the ARISS team has been working closely with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to identify what may have caused what ARISS is calling a “radio anomaly” on January 27. The net result has been an inability to use the NA1SS ham station gear in the ISS Columbus module. For the time being, ARISS...

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive 03/03/2021 RF noise is a frequent discussion topic among radio amateurs. A proliferation of electronics has cluttered and complicated the noise environment; it’s not just power lines anymore. Unless isolated from civilization, most hams experience RF interference (RFI) — sometimes without even realizing it, although spectrum scopes on modern transceivers make RF noise much more apparent. Various approaches to address the appare...

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

03/03/2021 A dozen US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) volunteers have been honored with gold-level recognition for the President’s Volunteer Service Award for 2020. They are Bob Mims, WA1OEZ; Ron Tomo, KE2UK; Mark Bary, N4EOC; Billy Pearson, KO4XT; Dave Bock, W8OHS; Bob Baker, K5LLF; John Monson, WB0PLW; Gary Geissinger, WA0SPM; Brian Handy, W8JBT; Bliss Wheeler, W7RUG; Jim Hamilton, K4QDF, and Daniel Wolff, KA7AGN. Each award recipient receives a letter signed by the Preside...

Moldova Peace Corps to Sponsor March 3 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact 03/02/2021 An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station ( ARISS) contact between youngsters and youth in Moldova and an International Space Station (ISS) crew member is set for March 3. The Moldova Peace Corps (MPC) is the hosting organization, and 90 students (aged 10 – 18) from a consortium of educational institutions, rural schools, and libraries from nine Moldovan villages will par...

Spring Red Cross Emergency Communications Drill Set 02/26/2021 The spring 2021 Red Cross Nationwide Emergency Communications Winlink Drill will be held on May 8, which is

Youth on the Air will Make Final Decision on Summer Camp in April 02/23/2021 Plans remain up in the air for the Youth on the Air ( YOTA) in the Americas summer camp, tentatively set for July 11 – 16 in West Chester, Ohio. “We know that changes in the COVID-19 pandemic status between now and July will have an impact on our decision to host the camp,” 2021 YOTA Americas Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, said. “At this time, we are still hopeful that hosting the camp safely July 11 –...

ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, to Keynote QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo 02/23/2021 80+ speaker lineup — will begin at 2000 UTC (3 PM EST) on March 13. His appearance will highlight ARRL’s featured role at the Expo, which also will include “Ask The ARRL Lab.” ARRL is a QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo Partner. Minster, who assumed the ARRL Headquarters leadership position last September, has launched major projects and assembled teams to foster innovation and individual skill development in ...